La Liga Preview: FC Barcelona vs Real Mallorca

By: Ade C. | November 6th, 2009

Even thought everyone seems to have forgotten in the face of the catastrophe that is our coming to a draw in our last two matches, we have an important match to play on Saturday. We need to re-establish our superiority over the whole wide world after having stumbled over Osasuna and Rubin Kazan. RM is one measly point behind, so we can’t afford anything less than a victory. The fans are getting surly and some of us wake up screaming in the night after having flashbacks to the 07/08 season. Leo Messi seems to have lost his magic, Xavi is showing signs of exhaustion after dragging the whole team forwards match after match, and the spare pieces that ought to hold up our defence when Puyol, Piqué or Alves aren’t available aren’t quite fitting together as well as they should.

We need another Zaragoza victory. We need to watch our team play and marvel at the pretty (and I don’t just mean Piqué), instead of seething over missed chances, wasted passes, and crosses that a few someones ought to be nailed to. We need to gather our wits, regroup, set a new plan and shake off the memory of the recent unfavourable results.

And Real Mallorca are coming for a visit. Tsk, tsk…

Sorry, guys! Nothing personal...

Last season, we played four times against Mallorca. The first leg, when they visited Camp Nou in January, was favourable to us by 2-1. Then we played the Copa del Rey semi-finals against them, beating them at home 2-0, and then getting away with a 1-1 draw when we visited Mallorca (thanks to Pinto and his Magical Ponytail). The last time we met them last season, we were nursing our Triplete hangover and allowed them to get away with a pretty meaningless 2-1.

Real Mallorca have won in the Camp Nou, though, more recently in that infamous 07/08 season, when they came back from a 2-0 to get away with 2-3 and the three points, thanks to Webo and Borja Valero, both of who will be on the pitch on Saturday.

Mallorca fans have chartered six planes to travel to Barcelona on Saturday; I don’t want to be mean, but I hope they fly back in a sulk.

Real Mallorca have only played in Primera for thirteen years, and they are usually a mid-table team, sometimes plummeting to flirt with the relegation places, but this season they’ve had quite a good run of form and they are currently fifth in La Liga, just one point behind Valencia and the Champions League places. So far, they have only lost against Sevilla (which is no shame, as Real Madrid will tell you) and against Sporting (which is slightly more puzzling); they drew against Atlético de Madrid and Villarreal, and have beaten Liga-newcomers Xerez and Tenerife, and also Getafe and Valladolid.

They have a quiet, unassuming goalkeeper who just happens to be quite good (Dudu Aouate), a striker who doesn’t get any headlines, but who consistently scores goals (Webo) and a solid, hard-working team. Just the kind of set-up we’ve been stumbling against lately. They also have a patient manager who has managed to rebuild his team time and after time, after his key players have been lured away by bigger teams, and who only spent an amazing 400,000 euros on signings this summer (even less that new-boys-on-the-block Xerez; I’m not even comparing it with our own or Real Madrid’s spending, because I might cry); for more information on the admirable Gregorio Manzano, read this article and marvel. The man himself said this morning that they are “not going to go for the individual marking” and that “Barça can win without playing well” (may the Gods of Football, fickle creatures that they are, hear you, Gregorio).

Pep wants to hypnotise you into forgetting these last few days and his recent questionable decisions; or he’s become a zombie; or he’s trying to stare down the mic. It’s hard to tell with him.

So, what should we do, I hear you ask, throwing your hands up in exasperation. Well, I have just the thing. Leave Xavi on the bench. Now, don’t scream like that, I can hear you from here and you sound like little girls who are having their pigtails pulled. Listen to me: Xavi is tired; Xavi has been playing too much; Xavi is not playing at his best level and that reflects on the overall quality of the team (which doesn’t mean I blame him for anything, mind you). Without Xavi on the pitch, the team will have to reorganise themselves, get a bit more involved in the midfield, and will perhaps get out of the rut they have fallen into.

And it’s not as if we’re lacking quality in the midfield, even without Xavi. Super-Yaya has been, well, superb all season, and hat-tricking Keita is not a slouch either. Now that Thierry Henry and Bojan are both available to play on the left, Iniesta can step back and try to impersonate Xavi instead of Messi (he might need a few UV-ray seasons first, though).

I would keep Messi on the pitch, though, even after his underwhelming performances lately. His problem is not that he’s tired, and making him unhappy by benching him is not going to help with whatever is bothering him. Let him play and try his best; in the worst of cases, he’ll stun the Mallorca defenders by running into them repeatedly, and free Ibrahimovic to do his thing.

Is that Pedrito’s name you’re muttering under your breath? Yes, I know, he’s been fantastic so far this season. But I’d rather bring him in as a sub for whatever striker is achieving less during the second half; he tends to shine in those situations, and let’s not forget that he’s probably going to have to play a full match on Tuesday, on our second Copa del Rey date with Cultural Leonesa.

So, my proposed line-up is:

——————Valdés———————
–Alves—-Puyol—-Piqué—Maxwell—
——————–Toure——————-
————–Keita——-Iniesta————
—-Messi—-Ibrahimovic——Henry—

With Bojan to play for Henry if our Frenchman is still not feeling up to playing the full ninety minutes (honestly, we need to play Lil’Bo more in Liga matches), and Pedrito to come in during the second half to regale us with a goal or two, if he is feeling generous.

Like it? Think I’m insane? Is your faith on Perfect Pep wavering? Want to give up on football and take up knitting as a hobby? Unwind in the comments!